Hair cleaning and hair styling apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for cleaning and styling a user&#39;s hair is described herein. The apparatus applies negative pressure on a user&#39;s hair and/or scalp to remove dirt and debris. The apparatus permits a user to clean his or her hair without applying potentially damaging cleaning products. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus is comprised of hinging plates that may be opened to place hair within the plates. Negative pressure, which may be generated by motors, may be generated and delivered to the surface of the apparatus where hair meets the plates. The application of negative pressure cleans the portion of hair and/or scalp that is placed within the plates.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/754,573, filed Nov. 1, 2018 entitled “HAIR CLEANING AND HAIR STYLING APPARATUS.” The entire content of that application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Art

This disclosure relates to hair cleaning systems and apparatuses.

Discussion of the State of the Art

Hair cleaning and hair styling is generally considered to be a two-step procedure. The first step typically always requires applying shampoo or some other cleaning agent to their hair. And the second step typically requires using a hair brush or some other type of apparatus to shape and direct hair in one more direction.

This two-step procedure is often very time consuming. For example, users who want to clean their hair must typically apply water to their hair to thoroughly wet their hair, and then apply a detergent, including, for example, shampoo. The users must thereafter thoroughly scrub their scalp and hair with the detergent, and then rinse their hair and scalp with additional water. In some instances, the users may also apply a hydrating agent, such as a conditioner to their hair, and then rinse it off with additional water. Thereafter, in order to style their hair, users must dry their hair by removing water from their hair with the aid of a drying agent, such as a blow dryer or a towel; apply additional conditioning and/or styling agents such as oils or clays, and then style their hair with the aid of various apparatuses such as hair brushes, flat irons, etc.

Moreover, the traditional two-step process for cleaning and styling hair tends to harm users' hair. For example, detergents, conditioners, and other styling products tend to strip hairs of their natural oils and nutrients, thereby damaging the long-term health of the hair. Even some conditioning elements, such as oils, tend to damage hair because they often prevent hair from producing its own hydrating oils. Moreover, the process of applying heat via a blow dryer or a flat iron also tends to damage and irritate hair.

As a result of all this damage, some users have started the practice of not washing their hair, or washing it less frequently. However, this practice leaves their hair feeling dirty. Leave in shampoos or dry shampoos often don't alleviate this feeling, nor do they address the damage associated with styling one's hair. Moreover, the products that are on the market do not save significant time in terms of cleaning and styling hair, and/or they do not address the damage that is associated with both cleaning and styling one's hair.

SUMMARY

The present invention is for cleaning and styling hair. The apparatus generally comprises a vacuum portion and a contact portion that contacts a user's hair and/or scalp. The inventive apparatus enables a user to clean his or her hair via a vacuum suction or a negative pressure system that collects debris and other materials from a user's scalp and/or hair. The contact portion enables the vacuum portion to contact one or more portions of a user's scalp and hair, and styles the user's hair at the same time that the vacuum portion cleans the user's hair. As such, the inventive apparatus enables a user save time by performing two steps that normally would be performed separately and in a time consuming manner. Moreover, the inventive apparatus does not damage a user's hair by, for example, applying harsh chemicals or detergents on the user's hair and scalp, or by applying heat via a blow-dryer or a hair straightener.

The present invention is for an apparatus for cleaning and styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a top plate, a bottom plate, a hinge connection portion connecting the top plate to the bottom plate to enable the plates to open and close at the hinge connection portion, an aperture plate that is attached to the top plate, the aperture plate comprising one or more apertures that permits air to flow from the exterior of the apparatus to the interior of the apparatus, a first negative pressure generator for generating negative pressure, and, a channel portion connecting the negative pressure generator to the one or more apertures.

The apparatus further comprising a second negative pressure generator, and a second channel connecting the second negative pressure generator to one or more apertures.

The apparatus, further comprising a handle portion for opening and/or closing the top and bottom plates.

The apparatus further comprising a filter portion.

The apparatus further comprising a dust bin for storing dirt and debris that may be collected by the application of negative pressure.

The apparatus further comprising a power supply.

The apparatus further comprising a digital controller.

Wherein the negative pressure generators are comprised of brushless motors. Wherein the negative pressure generators are comprised of impeller motor. Wherein the negative pressure generators run at 60,000 rpm. And wherein the aperture is 28 mm in diameter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings illustrate several embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention according to the embodiments. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the particular arrangements illustrated in the drawings are merely exemplary and are not to be considered as limiting of the scope of the invention or the claims herein in any way.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary apparatus for cleaning and styling hair from a perspective view in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary apparatus for cleaning and styling hair from a side view in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded side view of an exemplary apparatus for cleaning and styling hair in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates another exploded side view of an exemplary apparatus for cleaning and styling hair in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventor has conceived, and reduced to practice, an apparatus for cleaning and styling hair without having to wash it with cleaning products such as shampoo, soaps, and/or conditioners. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus is comprised of a hair enclosure, a filter, a debris collection unit, one or more motors, controller, and power supply. The various components permit a user to place the inventive apparatus around a portion of his or her hair. The apparatus essentially creates negative pressure around the hair that is placed within the apparatus and removes dirt and other debris, thereby reducing the need to wash hair with potentially damaging cleaning products.

The inventive apparatus enables a user to clean his or her hair via a vacuum suction or a negative pressure system that collects debris and other materials from a user's scalp. The brush portion enables the vacuum portion to contact one or more portions of a user's scalp and hair, and styles the user's hair at the same time that the vacuum portion cleans the user's hair. As such, the inventive apparatus enables a user save time by performing two steps that normally would be performed separately and in a time consuming manner. Moreover, the inventive apparatus does not damage a user's hair by, for example, applying harsh chemicals or detergents on the user's hair and scalp, or by applying heat via a blow-dryer or a hair straightener.

The invention is described by reference to various elements herein. It should be noted, however, that although the various elements of the inventive apparatus are described separately below, the elements need not necessarily be separate. The various embodiment may be interconnected and may be cut out of a singular block or mold. The variety of different ways of forming an inventive apparatus, in accordance with the disclosure herein, may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Generally, one or more different embodiments may be described in the present application. Further, for one or more of the embodiments described herein, numerous alternative arrangements may be described, it should be appreciated that these are presented for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting of the embodiments contained herein or the claims presented herein in any way. One or more of the arrangements may be widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as may be readily apparent from the disclosure. In general, arrangements are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice one or more of the embodiments, and it should be appreciated that other arrangements may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. Particular features of one or more of the embodiments described herein may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments or figures that form a part of the present disclosure, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific arrangements of one or more of the aspects. It should be appreciated, however, that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or figures with reference to which they are described. The present disclosure is neither a literal description of all arrangements of one or more of the embodiments nor a listing of features of one or more of the embodiments that must be present in all arrangements.

Headings of sections provided in this patent application and the title of this patent application are for convenience only and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

Devices and parts that are connected to each other need not be in continuous connection with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices and parts that are connected with each other may be connected directly or indirectly through one or more connection means or intermediaries.

A description of an aspect with several components in connection with each other does not imply that all such components are required. To the contrary, a variety of optional components may be described to illustrate a wide variety of possible embodiments and in order to more fully illustrate one or more embodiments. Similarly, although process steps, method steps, or the like may be described in a sequential order, such processes and methods may generally be configured to work in alternate orders, unless specifically stated to the contrary. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described in this patent application does not, in and of itself, indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of described processes may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to one or more of the embodiments, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred. Also, steps are generally described once per aspect, but this does not mean they must occur once, or that they may only occur once each time a process, or method is carried out or executed. Some steps may be omitted in some embodiments or some occurrences, or some steps may be executed more than once in a given aspect or occurrence.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of a single device or article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a single device or article may be used in place of the more than one device or article.

The functionality or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices that are not explicitly described as having such functionality or features. Thus, other embodiments need not include the device itself.

Techniques and mechanisms described or referenced herein will sometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it should be appreciated that particular embodiments may include multiple iterations of a technique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless noted otherwise. Alternate implementations are included within the scope of various embodiments in which, for example, functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art.

Overview

The apparatus of the present invention is a hair cleaning device. In one embodiment of the invention, the various elements of the inventive apparatus enable a user to remove dirt and debris from his or her hair. In one embodiment, the apparatus is comprised of a hair enclosure, a filter, a debris collection unit, one or more motors, controller, and power supply. The various components permit a user to place the inventive apparatus around a portion of his or her hair. The apparatus essentially creates negative pressure around the hair that is placed within the apparatus and removes dirt and other debris, thereby reducing the need to wash hair with potentially damaging cleaning products.

Apparatus

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate the inventive apparatus 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates the inventive apparatus 100 from a perspective view. The inventive apparatus 100 may be comprised a hair enclosure 102, a handle 106 to open and/or close the hair enclosure 102, and a casing 108 to house at least one negative pressure generator (illustrated in later figures).

The hair enclosure 102 may be opened and/or closed by pressing and/or pushing the handle portion 106. Now referring to FIG. 3, the hair enclosure may be comprised of a top plate 302, and bottom plate 304. In one embodiment of the invention, the top plate 302 and the bottom plate 304 may be disconnected from each other on one end, and may be connected on the other end. In an open configuration, space may be generated between the top plate 302 and the bottom plate 304, which allows a user to place his or her hair within the enclosure 102. Once hair is placed between the two plates, the enclosure may be closed by applying pressure to the handle portion 106 to essentially sandwich the hair between the two plates 302 and 304. In this closed position, negative pressure may be applied to the that is inside the enclosure 102 to clean it and remove dirt and debris from it.

Although a hinged opening configuration is described herein, a variety of different opening mechanisms may be used, as would be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention, including, for example, an opening system where the two plates 302 and 304 may be connected at both ends and may be opened or closed by pushing or pulling the plates away from each other along a rail mechanism, for example.

Now referring to FIG. 4, which illustrates the inventive apparatus in an exploded side view. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the one or more plates 302 and/or 304 may be further comprised of an aperture plate 402. The aperture plate 402 may be comprised of one or more apertures 404. The apertures enable air (along with other dirt and debris) to flow from outside of the apparatus 100 to the interior portion. In one embodiment, the individual apertures are 28 mm. This aperture 404 size permits sufficient air flow to create a pressure differential. Apertures 404 that are too large or too small may be insufficient for generating sufficient air flow in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Apertures 404 that are too large may require a larger negative pressure generator, which may make the apparatus 100 unwieldy in a hand-held configuration. In accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention, aperture sizes from 10 mm to 38 mm were deemed sufficient. However, a variety of aperture 404 sizes may be used, as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art—in a complementary fashion with the negative pressure generators used—without departing from the scope of the invention.

Still referring to FIG. 4, which illustrates two negative pressure generators 406 and 408. In one embodiment, the two negative pressure generators 406 and 408 may be comprised of brushless motors that generate negative pressure. The negative pressure generators 406 and 408 may use an axial impeller motor and/or a centrifugal impeller fan/motor. In one embodiment, each negative pressure generator 406 and 408 may run at 60,000 rpm. However, other speeds may be used, as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Each negative pressure generator 406 and 408 may have multiple stages to increase and/or decrease the rate of air flow.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention that is comprised of two negative pressure generators 406 and 408, the apparatus may be comprised of one or more pressure generators. Using more than one pressure generator adds additional technical complexity, however, because the pressure generators should be optimized for balance and system efficiency. The two-motor system 406 and 408 described above is optimized for balance and efficiency.

In one embodiment, the pressure generators 406 and 408 may be connected to the apertures 404 via channels, tubes, etc. The pressure generators 406 and 408 generate negative pressure and deliver it to the apertures 404 via this connection mechanism. The native pressure may be dissipated at the apertures 404 and may cause airflow to move from the exterior of the apparatus 100 to the interior.

In one embodiment of the invention, apparatus 100 may also be comprised of a filter that may prevent dirt and debris from degrading the performance of the negative pressure generating motors 406 and 408. The inventive apparatus 100 may also be comprised of a dust bin for temporarily storing the dirt and debris that is collected inside the apparatus 100). The dust bin may be removable from the apparatus via an opening in the enclosure 108.

In one embodiment, the enclosure may be opened via a hinged door. The apparatus 100 may also be comprised of a motor control circuit to control the negative pressure generators. The motor control circuits may control the negative pressure generators by turning them on/off and/or changing their speeds. The apparatus may also be comprised of a power supply to supply power to the pressure generators. In one embodiment, a low-voltage 8V, 5 amp power supply may be provided. However, other power supplies, including batteries, may be used, as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Additional Configurations

The configurations described above are one of several configurations of the inventive apparatus. In one embodiment, the negative pressure generators may be housed in a separate desktop unit that is connected to the hand-held portion via tubes and or other connection mechanisms. This configuration allows the hand-held portion to be much smaller and light-weight as compared to the configuration described above. However, such a configuration is considered to be within the scope of the invention.

In one configuration, one or more plates 302 and 304 may include brushes to comb or style the user's hair. The brush portion of the inventive apparatus may help dislodge debris and other particulate matter from a user's hair and/or scalp to help remove the material. The brush portion may be comprised of one or more bristles for styling a user's hair. A variety of different brush/bristles may be used, as would be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention. In one embodiment, instead of a clamp configuration, the apparatus 100 may be comprised of only one plate with bristles extending from the plate.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and “connected” along with their derivatives. For example, some embodiments may be described using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term “coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

As used herein, the terms “comprises.” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciate still additional alternative structural and functional designs for a system and a process for creating an interactive message through the disclosed principles herein. Thus, while particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein. Various apparent modifications, changes and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for cleaning and styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a top plate; a bottom plate; a hinge connection portion connecting the top plate to the bottom plate to enable the plates to open and close at the hinge connection portion; an aperture plate that is attached to the top plate, the aperture plate comprising one or more apertures that permits air to flow from the exterior of the apparatus to the interior of the apparatus; a first negative pressure generator for generating negative pressure; and a channel portion connecting the negative pressure generator to the one or more apertures.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second negative pressure generator; and a second channel connecting the second negative pressure generator to one or more apertures.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handle portion for opening and/or closing the top and bottom plates.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter portion.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dust bin for storing dirt and debris that may be collected by the application of negative pressure.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the negative pressure generators are comprised of brushless motors.
 7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the negative pressure generators are comprised of impeller motor.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power supply.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a digital controller.
 10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the negative pressure generators run at 60,000 rpm.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aperture is 28 mm in diameter. 